Apparatus for chemically cleaning and drying fabrics, textiles, garments and the like



WOLFF TEXTILES, GARMENTS AND THE LIKE .Original Filed Sept. 15, 1932 0 Q 7 a 0 G B 0 APPARATUS FOR GHEMICALLY CLEANING AND DRYING FABRICS,

Q 0 O o B Q Q O l) b of; D G G Q D 0 0 0 G b 0 G 6 B b El G Q o O 0 Q B Q H Oct. 13, 1936.

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o a e a aonenoeoo INVENTOR 65e-aff@ f4/0M? BY Patented oci. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT NoFFIeE Georg Wolff, Munich, Germany, assignor to Dr..

Alexander Wacker Gesellschaft fr Elektro- -chemische Industrie, G. m. b. H., Munich, Germany, a corporation Original application September 13, 1932, Serial No. 632,947. Divided and this application June 6, 1934, Serial No. 729,278. In Germany March,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for chemically cleaning and drying fabrics, textiles, garments and the like and is a division of copending application Ser. No. 632,947 filed in the United States September 13, 1932 and in Germany March 5,1932.

Combined washing and drying machines usually consist of a perforated drum containing the articles, Vwhich rotates in a casing partially fluid is drawn off and the heated air enters through distributing tubes or through the perforations in the drum walls. y

lThis practice is objectionable because the heated air tends to leave the drum near the point of inlet and flow in the channel intermei diate the drum and casing. The air is thereby partially-dost a: far as its drying function is concerned and merely serves to heat the walls to an undesired degree and in an une'conomical manner. The articles are frequently scorched or otherwise damaged if permitted to remain in contact with the heated walls for an appreciable period. y

4,An object of the invention is to improve the construction and operation of rotary washing and drying machines and particularly to prevent damage to the articles being treated, and to accelerate evaporation of the washing fluid 30 and drying of the articles in the apparatus after cleaning.,

-I have found that with a novel construction, position and arrangement of the inlet and/or outlet passages I am able to prevent prolonged `35 contact between the articles and the metal Walls whereby the temperature of the drying medium may be increased and evaporation of the solvent and drying of the articles safely accelerated.y 40 In accordance withthe preferred embodiment of the invention, the air is admitted into and/or ydischarged from the drum in an undivided stream. The passages in the drum wall neces? sary to pass this stream are preferably quite large and are tapered and slant inwardly so that the washed articles which might otherwise enter these openings are carried -by centrifugal force and/or gravity away from the metal and walls.

The novel features characteristic ofA the-present invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of opration with further objects and advantages, will best be understood by reference to filled with cleaning fluid. After washing, this,

the following Idescription and to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Q

Figs. 1 and 2 are, respectively, longitudinal and transverse sections of a machine having enlarged axially arranged inlet and outlet passages; y

Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse sections of a machine having an air inlet passage similar to that of Fig. 1 but spaced from the axis of the drum, and an outlet similar to that of my earlier application.

The combined ywashing and drying machine vof Figs. 1 and 2 has a closed casing I -containing 'a rotating receptacle orfdrum 2. The two end walls and the perforated cylindrical wall of the drum are preferably made of sheet metal. Drum 2 is provided at each end with longitudinally extending annular conical passages 3 for air. These passages which surround the axis of the drum are conically widened or flared towards the interior of the drum and are provided with radial bars 4 as shown. Such passages serve to expand the air stream adjacent the inlet and to contract the stream adjacent the outlet, thereby insuring a better distribution and circulation of air through the drum. Articles which might otherwise tend to obstruct theseenlarged openings will be checked by radial bars 4 and willy slide on the sloping surfaces toward the interior of the drum, thereby preventing prolonged contact between said articles and end surfaces of the drum. The flare ofthe inlet and the outlet passage also reduces the vertical end wall area with which the clothes or articles may come into contact and thus reduces the liability of overheating and scorching.

Hot air is blown by a suitable ventilator through inlet and outlet pipes 5 and through the axially arranged air chambers 6. In order to force the air directly into and out Aof the drum 2 through the tapered passages 3 a flange 1 is arranged on'each end of the drum and each flange cooperates with a stationary close-fitting the stream of drying air. The enlarged air passages 3 serve as terminals for the direct passage longed contact between the sheet metal walls` and the articles being treated, prevent damage to the latter even when the air enters the drum in a very hot state.

The washing machine shown in Figs. 3 and 4 has a large annular passage I3 for the stream of air in an end wall of the drum I2. This passage is widened toward the interior of the drum and is provided with radial bars I4. Passage I3 differs from passages 3 (Figs. l and 2) in that it is spaced from the axis oi the drum. This arrangement facilitates the distribution of air and the connection with pipe I5 fastened t0 the end of casing I I is simplied by the elimination of the special air chamber 6 of Fig. l. Flanges I'I-I8, which span the space intermediate the drum and casing, provide an enclosed connecting conduit for direct passage of air. Flanges 2I--28 adjacent the outer periphery of the drum also prevent leakage, and wasteful circulation of the air in the channel intermediate the drum and casing.

It will be apparentthat the opposite end-of the drum may be provided with a passage similar to passage I3, or one of the passages 3 shown in Fig. l. In the embodiment illustrated, however, the other terminal for the direct passage of the air through the drum is similar to that shown in my copending application Ser. No. 632,947 previously mentioned.

Regardless of the direction of iiow of circulation of air is substantially completely confined within the drum and very little heat is dissipatedin the channel intermediate the drum and casing. Thus, assuming pipe I5, iiange I8 and opening I3 as comprising the inlet, and perforations 2D and vent 2I as comprising the outlet, very little air will escape through the usual widely spaced periorations I9 because of the greater draft adjacent the closely spaced perforations 20 opposite Vent 2|. Assuming pipe 2| to be the inlet, the air will traverse the channel between this pipe and drum I2 in a direct lineI and substantially all of the air will enter the drum through perforations 20 and be discharged through opening I3, ange I8 and pipe I5. This is so because there is no air outlet from the channel other than through the drum. During the washing operation the closed casing is partially lled with any desired type of washing fluid, such for instance as benzine, ethylene triehloride, carbon tetrachloride and the like.

The drying medium likewise may be of any suitable or convenient type. Thus I may use hot air or other gas for removing the solvent residue and for drying the cleaned articles. Washing uids such as benzine, which form an explosive mixture with air, can be removed by an inert gas as carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

The drawing does not show parts of the cleaning plant which form no part of my invention, such as ventilators or other means for circulating the hot air, coolers, heaters ete., as they may be employed in any one of the conventional forms. Neither have I shown all forms of my invention which is capable of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

Apparatus for chemically cleaning fabrics, textiles and the like, comprising a casing, a rotatable perforated drum in said casing adapted to contain articles to be cleaned, said drum having at one end means for admitting gases and distributing same throughout substantially the entire interior of the drum and having at the other end means for withdrawing gases from substantially the entire interior of the drum, one of said means comprising a stationary passage in the end of said casing eccentric with, the adjacent end wall of the drum and an annular passage in the adjacent end wall of the drum communicating with said stationary passage as the drum is rotated, said annular passage being flared longitudinally toward the interior of the drum.

GEORG WOLFF. 

